The Keep Tift Beautiful Board is firmly dedicated to keeping our county as clean and beautiful as possible. Our twelve members cannot accomplish this alone, however, and we are seeking assistance from both organizations and individuals in the community so that we can achieve better results. With the right effort, we can make Tifton and Tift County a national showcase again.

Our board has established three committees:

The Beautification Committee works on planting trees, shrubs and other plants to enhance the physical appeal of our public areas. Some projects which could use volunteers include the Community Gardens, tree plantings and green space.

The Litter Control Committee deals with litter removal, which includes the Adopt a Mile program, waterway clean-up, e-cycling (recycling of electronic equipment) and general recycling. Sometimes it requires removal or neutralizing graffiti.

Finally, the Public Relations Committee creates press releases and other promotional programs to promote awareness and interest in keeping Tift beautiful. Projects include the Recycling Rover and educational outreach.

Several organizations already participate in the Adopt a Mile program, whereby they pick up trash along their one-mile stretch of road at least four times a year, and report their efforts to the Board. The Georgia Department of Transportation coordinates volunteers along the state highways and has similar requirements in their Adopt a Highway program.

Keep Tift Beautiful (KTB) has been working on updating records of those actively involved in these projects. Signs are posted, publicizing the group or organization that has adopted a mile; failure to report progress, however, may result in removal of the signs. We hope this does not happen. Clean-up efforts should be reported to Bert Crowe at bcrowe@tifton.net (phone 391-3947).

1.The general rules for adopting organizations are as follows:

• Must be a civic or non-profit organization

• Participants must be at least 12 years of age

• If under age 18, must have written parental consent

2. Commercial organizations are also governed by certain prohibitions:

• Cannot display any product ID

• Cannot display address or phone number

• Cannot display any product or service reference

• An organization sign can only be used with a parent organization sign (i.e. Keep Tift Beautiful)

3. All organizations must be approved by the Keep Tift Beautiful Board and the Georgia Department of Transportation.

4. Participating organizations must complete Adopt-a-Highway status report and forward to the Keep Tifton Beautiful Coordinator after each pick-up.

5. If an adopting organization fails to perform satisfactorily, it may be removed from the Adopt-a-Highway Program.

Many citizens in the county are already picking up trash in public areas, but are not reporting it. If your civic club, garden club, youth group, church group or family would like to adopt a mile, please contact Bert Crowe. We appreciate your efforts and want to recognize them. Keep Tift Beautiful also has an Adopt a Spot program. Volunteers who are interested should observe the following protocol:

1. Check the area on a regular basis and remove litter, rocks, leaves and other debris not properly a part of the area.

2. You may plant trees, shrubs, flowers and other plants appropriate for the area, which do not cast shadows over the roadway, have root systems that will break sidewalks, or interfere with underground or overhead power lines; and will not disrupt the visual ability of motorists by blocking traffic signs or signals.

3. Weeds should be removed on an as-needed basis, and the area should be mowed and kept neat by edging curbs and beds, and mulching beds and shrubs as needed. Fertilizer should be applied yearly, and all trees, plants, and shrubs should be checked for disease and treated, pruned, or removed, as appropriate.

Finally, we encourage individuals or groups to Adopt a Tree, a program by which volunteers are responsible for the care and maintenance of a tree. Responsibilities include:

1. Checking the area around the tree(s) on a regular basis and remove litter, rocks, leaves and other debris not properly part of the area.

2. Report any damage, disease or problems noted with tree(s) to the Tifton/Tift County Tree Board as soon as possible.

3. Remove weeds on an as-needed basis; mow and keep the area around the tree(s) neat at all times. Edge and mulch around the tree(s) as needed; fertilize yearly; water as needed.

We truly appreciate the efforts of Tift County residents who care about the appearance of our community. We make every attempt to teach schoolchildren about recycling, providing them with educational materials and motivating them to be a positive contributor to success. Anyone who does not have time to participate in the various programs is welcome to contribute to the expense of printing and distributing these educational materials.



Duncan McClusky

Chair, Keep Tift

Beautiful

Tifton